Sinner defeats Alaraz in four sets in men's singles final

Jannik Sinner won his first Wimbledon title on Sunday, defeating rival Carlos Alcaraz in four sets to capture his fourth Grand Slam trophy.

In a rematch of June’s French Open final — which Alcaraz won after dropping the first two sets — this time it was Sinner who came from behind for the victory. Sinner lost the first set before ultimately winning 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.

“It’s so special,” Sinner said after the match during an on-court interview. “I had a very tough loss in Paris. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how you win or lose, you have to understand what you did wrong. That’s what we did.”

Sunday’s match was the latest chapter in a rivalry that’s come to define the current era of men’s tennis. Sinner and Alcaraz had combined to win the previous six majors in the sport prior to Sunday, with each player winning three.

Before Sunday, Alcaraz has had the upper hand between him and Sinner, winning eight of their previous 12 matchups, including a 3-1 record at Grand Slam tournaments and a 3-1 record in finals. Alcaraz had also won Wimbledon in each of the last two years.

Sinner won Sunday thanks in large part to an aggressive style.

He spent more of the match attacking compared to Alcaraz. Sinner’s first-serve percentage (62%) was much higher than his opponent’s (53%), allowing him to keep Alcaraz on his back foot. Sinner also won a higher percentage of second-serve points, 61% to 51%.

“It’s difficult to lose,” Alcaraz said afterward. He later added, “I will be back for sure.”

It was still a relatively even-fought battle between the two best players in the sport. Sinner hit 40 winners compared to Alcaraz’s 38. And Alcaraz finished the match with 36 unforced errors compared to Sinner’s 40.

With Sunday’s victory, Sinner has now won every Grand Slam except the French Open. Before this year, he had never made it further than the semifinals at the All England Club.

The next major will be the U.S. Open, which begins in late August. Sinner, who won the tournament last year, will have a chance to win his third Grand Slam of the year.

“I’m just living my dream,” Sinner said.

Click here to read article